纪录片《我们的地球》 第105期 冰封世界(1)

Both poles of our planet are covered with ice.

地球的两极都被冰覆盖着

They're the largest and most demanding wildernesses¹ of all.

它们是最大、最荒凉的无人区

Nowhere else on Earth is seasonal² change so extreme.

两极地区的季节变化非常极端

It causes the ice to advance and retreat every year.

使得冰盖面积每年都在扩大和缩小

And all life here is governed by that.

这里的一切生命都受其影响

When the first polar explorers headed south,

第一批极地探险家前往南方时候

giant cathedrals of ice marked their entry into uncharted territory.

经过这里的冰山就标志他们进入了未知领域

Passing the towering spires³, they must have wondered what unearthly sights lay in store.

在经过高耸的冰山的时候，他们必曾感慨于地球上竟有如此别样的地方存在。

As they battled on, the ice became increasingly dominant⁴,

他们继续南上，触目皆是寒冰

but nothing could have prepared them for the ice world that finally loomed⁵ into view.

当冰雪世界真实的出现在他们眼前的时候，他们感到的是无法用语言形容的震撼。

Terra incognita, "the unknown land".

拉丁语中的“Terra Incognita”，是未知之地的意思。

At the southernmost extreme of our planet, the continent of Antarctica is as large as the United States of America.

南极洲位于地球的最南边，面积相当于一个美国。

Ninety per cent of all the world's ice is found here.

这里的冰占全世界的90%

This frozen world is largely deserted⁶ until the start of spring.

在这个冰封的世界里大部分地方都死气沉沉，直到春天来临。

1 wildernesses   

荒野( wilderness的名词复数 )； 沙漠； （政治家）在野； 不再当政（或掌权）

参考例句：

• Antarctica is one of the last real wildernesses left on the earth. 南极洲是地球上所剩不多的旷野之一。
• Dartmoor is considered by many to be one of Britain's great nature wildernesses. Dartmoor被很多人认为是英国最大的荒原之一。

2 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

3 spires   

n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her masts leveled with the spires of churches. 船的桅杆和教堂的塔尖一样高。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• White church spires lift above green valleys. 教堂的白色尖顶耸立在绿色山谷中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

5 loomed   

v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
• The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。